Well, he was so kind during the first pitch how I gave him the medals, he was such a good sport about that. Got some great pictures out of that, so I sent him a thank you note and put a cap in. I told him that maybe it could help him that maybe it could help him contain his hair as he was rounding third base, but he had some other ideas. I’m very honored that he decided to wear it for the celebration.

These two are truly my new favorite DMV athlete BFF pair.

]]>http://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2016/09/29/caps-fan-and-olympian-katie-ledecky-explains-how-bryce-harper-got-to-wear-her-swim-cap/feed/3Katie Ledecky throws out first pitch while Bryce Harper holds her medalshttp://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2016/08/24/katie-ledecky-throws-out-first-pitch-while-bryce-harper-holds-her-medals/
http://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2016/08/24/katie-ledecky-throws-out-first-pitch-while-bryce-harper-holds-her-medals/#commentsWed, 24 Aug 2016 23:16:34 +0000http://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/?p=110830Caps fan and five-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky threw out the first pitch tonight ahead of the Nationals/Orioles game at Nats Park. The Bethesda native threw a perfect strike down the middle to Shawn Kelley. Before the game, Ledecky said she had practiced with her neighbors. It showed.

“They all wanted to see how heavy [the medals] were,” Ledecky said of the experience. “It’s kind of different feeling for me to have [Nats players] be a fan of me when I’ve been a huge fan of theirs for a couple of years.”

]]>http://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2016/08/24/katie-ledecky-throws-out-first-pitch-while-bryce-harper-holds-her-medals/feed/3Olympic champion Katie Ledecky to throw first pitch at Washington Nationals gamehttp://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2016/08/23/olympic-champion-katie-ledecky-to-throw-first-pitch-at-washington-nationals-game/
http://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2016/08/23/olympic-champion-katie-ledecky-to-throw-first-pitch-at-washington-nationals-game/#commentsTue, 23 Aug 2016 21:53:21 +0000http://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/?p=110805A week ago, Caps fanKatie Ledecky returned to the United States to a hero’s welcome. The legendary swimmer won four gold medals, destroyed her own world record in the 400-meter freestyle, and broke the Olympic record in the 800-meter freestyle at the Rio Olympics.

Ledecky also threw out the first pitch at a Nats game in 2014 and that’s totally a strike.

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Ted, I beg you, please get her to another Capitals game this year.

]]>http://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2016/08/23/olympic-champion-katie-ledecky-to-throw-first-pitch-at-washington-nationals-game/feed/2Our new t-shirt design honoring Maryland’s Olympic dominancehttp://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2016/08/13/our-new-t-shirt-design-honoring-marylands-olympic-dominance/
http://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2016/08/13/our-new-t-shirt-design-honoring-marylands-olympic-dominance/#commentsSat, 13 Aug 2016 05:35:20 +0000http://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/?p=110519Over the last week, this area has been full of Maryland pride and for good reason. Baltimore native Michael Phelps and Bethesda native Katie Ledeckyhave dominated the Rio Olympics, winning a ridiculous eight gold medals combined. The pinnacle Maryland moment occurred on the medal stand Tuesday when Phelps’ friends yelled “O!” during the national anthem. You can’t get more Maryland than that.

As of Saturday morning, athletes from the Old Line State have won 12 of the United States’ 20 gold medals. If Maryland was a country by itself, it would have the second most golds in the Olympics, sitting right behind China (13). That is insanity.

This design is available on men’s, women’s, and kids’ t-shirts; baby onesies; maternity clothes; rompers; mugs; and tanktops. We also have several other Maryland-related designs in our shop (1, 2, 3).

Here’s a few more fun Maryland Olympic facts to enjoy:

Phelps now owns the record for most medals (27) and most golds (22) in Olympics history.

Phelps won a record fourth consecutive title in a swimming event with his 200m IM victory

Phelps’ 200m IM victory Thursday allowed him to best an Olympic record that had stood for 2168 years. Phelps’ 13th individual title, scored in Rio’s pool Thursday night, eclipsed the 12 titles held by Leonidas of Rhodes, who won three foot races — the diaulos, stadion and hoplitodromos — in four consecutive festivals between 164 B.C. and 152 B.C.

Ledecky, the best long distance swimmer in the world, narrowly defeated Sweden’s Sarah Sjöström, the best sprinter in the world, by 0.35 seconds in the middle distance race. Coming into the Olympic games, swimming analysts thought this would be Ledecky’s toughest individual race of the four to win. She has never lost an individual race in international competition.

Katie’s uncle and former Caps co-owner, Jon Ledecky, freaked out in the stands as his niece pulled out the thrilling win. Katie’s mother Mary was also very excited.

]]>http://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2016/08/09/former-caps-co-owner-jon-ledecky-freaks-out-as-katie-ledecky-wins-second-gold-medal-at-rio-games/feed/2Capitals fan Katie Ledecky breaks her own world record in 400 freestyle at Rio Olympicshttp://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2016/08/08/capitals-fan-katie-ledecky-breaks-her-own-world-record-in-400-freestyle-at-rio-olympics/
http://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2016/08/08/capitals-fan-katie-ledecky-breaks-her-own-world-record-in-400-freestyle-at-rio-olympics/#commentsMon, 08 Aug 2016 04:35:29 +0000http://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/?p=110252Sunday night, local Olympic hero Katie Ledecky wrote another chapter in her legendary swimming career. Ledecky won her second medal of the Rio Olympics, a gold, after beating her own world record in the 400 Freestyle.

“To see the 56 up there feels really good,” Ledecky said to the New York Times, referring to her time, 3 minutes 56.46 seconds. Ledecky’s previous record was 3:58.37.

The Bethesda native also anchored the U.S. 4×100-meter freestyle relay on Saturday that earned a silver medal and set an American record. Ledecky will also swim in the 200 meter freestyle Monday and the 800 meter freestyle Thursday.

The best part is, Ledecky is one of us. This photo of Katie received a massive amount of attention on Twitter after her gold-medal victory.

Katie is the niece of former Capitals owner (and current Islanders owner) Jon Ledecky. In 1999, when Ledecky was two-years-old, her uncle Jon partnered with Ted Leonsis to purchase a stake of the Capitals and Wizards. The night Michael Jordan was announced as a co-owner of the Wizards, Katie was photographed sitting in the owner’s box with the basketball legend scribbling in a coloring book.

So far, Marylanders have contributed to four gold and silver medals at the Rio Olympics: Phelps in the 4×100 relay (gold), Katie Ledecky in the 400 free (gold) and 4×100 relay (silver), and Chase Kalisz in the 400 meter IM (silver). The United States has 12 medals total through two days of Olympic competition.

In early August, Maryland-native Katie Ledecky won a gold meal at the London Summer Olympics. The 15-year-old had the second-fastest swim of all-time in the 800-meter freestyle. For RMNB readers, the best part about the victory however was the revelation that she’s one of us.

During the second intermission, Ledecky also had the chance to do an interview with CRL’s Guerin Austin and do a live spot with CSN’s Al Koken. Katie, who couldn’t stop smiling during the Koken interview, revealed that her favorite Capital back in the day was Adam Oates (photo) and that he used to go to the same Starbucks as her.

Funny how times change. Now some little kid can say they go to the same Starbucks as Katie.